Journal of a Voyage Up the Mediterranean: Principally Among the ..., Volum 1

smile which saluted them, would pronounce à bitter curse upon the heartlessness of refined society, and the mockery of worldly pleasure ! How far any, or all of these, are constituent parts of the man of wisdom; let those answer who will.

CHAPTER IX.

FRIDAY, 8th April.-I mentioned, a few days ago, the trial of certain Greeks, for piracy and murder. The whole statement of this extraordinary case has been published by authority in the Government Gazette. It is, on a variety of accounts, so extremely interesting, it will serve to illustrate, in so many ways, the character of certain portions of Grecian warfare, and solve so many problematical circumstances which may hereafter appear in this Journal, that I transcribe it without scruple, taking the liberty at the same time to correct some grammatical inaccuracies, and involutions of phrase

“ It will be recollected that Salvatore Fernandez, (who was considered as the original planner of the piracy committed on board the Maltese brig La Speranza, of which five of his companions have been found guilty, after a

most deliberate investigation at the late Admiralty Sessions), hung himself in prison, in August last. He had, however, made a confession, before the magistrate for the Ports. This document was not produced at the trial, as it was considered not legally available in proof of the guilt of his confederates. Still it is supposed to contain the fullest and most circumstantial account of this truly horrible transaction. We therefore give it at length. “ Confession, taken through the medium of a

sworn interpreter. " · On the 1st September last, Captain Giovanni Mavromicali wrote to me a letter from Zimova in Maina, addressed to me at Calamata, requesting that I would go there and enter on board his privateer. I accordingly went to Zimova; and on my arrival, Captain Mavromicali told me to go on board, as he was ready to proceed on a cruize off Scondra or in the Levant; but we did not sail for about thirty-five days afterwards. Captain Mavromicali is brother of the general commanding that district, Petro Bey. The privateer was a mistico, the name of which I do

CONFESSION OF A GREEK PIRATE.

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not remember, and commanded by Captain Hadgi Panajotti, who is related to Captain Mavromicali and Petro Bey. On the day following my arrival at Zimova, Captain Giovanni invited me to come and dine with him at his house, at twelve o'clock. The first conversation that took place between us, was about some prizes Captain Mavromicali had tried to capture at Piscardo, in Cephalonia, but he had been prevented by the English; these were two Turkish vessels, one of them a trabaccolo and the other a brig. He said, the English loved the Turks more than those who were Christians, and that, if when we were cruizing I should fall in with any English, Imperial, French, or other vessels, I must do my duty by killing the people whenever I should find cash on board, and sink the vessels. I was engaged to be superintendent over the crew, being an old man; but I was not an officer, though Captain Mavromicali promised I should live in the cabin with the captain and officers; but being a bad man, he has put me down as second captain. When the before-mentioned conversation took place, I answered, that I would not go on board his vessel being such a man as he

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was. Captain Mavromicali replied, he thought I was a different character than I appeared to be, and that he was only joking with me; and he would not act in the manner he had said.

“ • On the following day, early in the morning, there was a boat ready to sail for Calamata, in which I applied for a passage, as I wished to return to Calamata. I was on board of the Mistico, and the boat came alongside to take me off. Captain Mavromicali seeing this, and supposing I was going to embark in the boat, called out to me from the shore, and asked why I was going away without first informing him. He then desired me to come on shore, as he wanted to give me a letter for Mr. Giacomo Cornelio, at Calamata; and besides the letter, he would give me an order upon him for six dollars, which was one month's salary ; I accordingly went on shore, and took from him the letter and order for six dollars, and then went into the boat, and proceeded with it to Calamata, leaving the Mistico at Zimova. We arrived at Calamata on the following day, where on my arrival I delivered to Mr. Cornelio the letter and order; and, according to the latter, I received from him the six